The spring rain is like a veil, covering the whole world.
The gray and thick palace walls give people a strange and depressing feeling.
Zhao Hao stood outside the emperor's study, holding a delicate food box, looking up at the sky, sighing with infinite desolation: "This Xianyang Palace is too old, no wonder my father wants to build Afang Palace, look at the Forbidden City, the red walls The glazed tiles are so elegant."
As he said this, several palace maids passed by and turned to look at him with timid expressions.
Zhao Hao glanced at them half-heartedly, and couldn't help but sigh: "The palace maid is not bad looking, but it's a pity that her dress is not very sexy, and her face is a little more pink."
During the past three years, Zhao Hao had never thought about being a sensual and dandy prince, playing with the maids every day and doing what men love to do.
But the idea is beautiful, but the reality is cruel.
According to the regulations of the Ying Qin clan, the prince is not allowed to keep maids in his bedroom before he reaches the crown.
There are two main purposes for doing this.
One is to prevent the prince from losing his virginity at a young age, which will affect his development; the other is to prevent some maids with ulterior motives from seducing the young and ignorant prince in order to cling to him.
Therefore, the princes who have not yet reached the crown have only male palace attendants and male guards around them, and the only women they can have private contact with are their mothers and sisters.
After all, it’s hard to attack your own people.
Therefore, the ancient princes were not as arrogant and extravagant as shown in later TV series.
After waiting for about a stick of incense, the door of the emperor's study was slowly opened. The first person to walk out was Feng Quji, followed by Yao Jia, Feng Jie, Hu Wujing and others.
They all silently saluted Zhao Hao, and Zhao Hao returned the salute politely.
After they left, the palace servant's shout came from the study: "Xuan, Young Master Hao comes to see you!"
"My son, I pay my respects to my father."
Zhao Hao walked into the study carrying the food box and immediately saw Ying Zheng, Li Si, and Wang Wan pointing at the table, seeming to be discussing something.
Hearing Zhao Hao's voice, the three of them immediately stopped talking.
But Ying Zheng smiled and said, "I've asked people to prepare food. You can eat here. This guy just happened to be here. You can chat with him."
After saying that, he said to Zhao Hao: "Bring the food box over."
"only."
Zhao Hao responded respectfully, then blinked and whispered: "Father, what are you discussing? Do you need to talk to me?"
"Didn't you talk about business tax some time ago? There is no money to build Lingqu Canal in the south. I am considering whether to open a business."
"Isn't my father donating food and erecting monuments? Why are we still short of money?"
"There are too many ways for the imperial court to use money, and there is no way it can be used enough!"
Ying Zheng shook his head helplessly, then called to the palace attendant to deliver the meal.
Although it was a treat from the emperor, the meals served were not sumptuous, and Li Si was used to it.
After simply taking care of his stomach, Li Si took the lead and said to Zhao Hao: "Sir, I heard from your majesty, old minister, that you think the taxation of Da Qin is too simple and you want to start a business to increase the revenue of the state treasury?"
"If you need money urgently, even starting a business will not help!" Zhao Hao shook his head.
"ah?"
Li Si was surprised for a moment, and then looked at Ying Zheng.
Ying Zheng frowned: "Why is this?"
"Reply to Father"
Zhao Hao handed over his hand: "Opening a business can indeed increase the revenue of the treasury, but opening a business requires development time. Our business in Daqin is not developed. If you want to make a profit from business taxes, it will take at least five years of development!"
"Five years?"
Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes and seemed a little unhappy.
Seeing this, Wang Wan hurriedly asked Zhao Hao: "Master, is there any good way to increase the revenue of the treasury in a short time?"
"Old Prime Minister, don't worry, just listen to me!"
Zhao Hao raised his hand to signal Wang Wan, and then said leisurely: "Governing a big country is like cooking small dishes. If you rush for quick success, you will end up losing more than you gain. If we, the Qin Dynasty, want to make the country rich and the people strong, we must follow the path of sustainable development."
"sustainable development?"
Wang Wan looked confused and looked at Ying Zheng subconsciously.
Ying Zheng thought about the sentence "Governing a big country is like cooking small delicacies" and shook his head in a funny way.
This brat, if you don't agree with me, just click me!
It’s like I need you to teach me how to do things!
However, what you said makes sense, and I am indeed a little impatient.
After a slight hesitation, Ying Zheng coughed twice and said awkwardly: "What about that, my son, can you explain it a little more clearly?"
"oh."
Zhao Hao groaned and explained: "The so-called sustainable development means unified planning and coordination of people's livelihood, the country's current situation, and fiscal revenue and other matters, so as to meet current needs without compromising long-term interests!"
As soon as these words came out, the three of them suddenly understood.
However, it is easier said than done, and they obviously have no clue.
After a moment of silence, Li Si asked again: "In your opinion, how should this sustainable development be implemented?"
"First of all, it must be to adjust taxes. Even agricultural taxes can be adjusted. Secondly, there are levies. Our Daqin is building many projects at the same time and requires a lot of levies;
But I feel that since Daqin is determined to expand overseas, we should not place the burden on the people. We need to know that the people are the foundation of national development! "
"this……"
Li Si and Wang Wan were shocked at the same time when they heard Zhao Hao's words.
Not to mention adjusting agricultural taxes, even reducing farm labor, in their view, is impossible.
Because they didn't know how many times they tried to persuade the First Emperor to reduce the servitude, but they never succeeded.
However, what the First Emperor said next was far beyond their expectations.
"Didn't you say that frivolous corvee and small gifts are useless?"
“Significant light corvee and meager gifts are indeed useless, but meaningful light corvee and meager gifts are of great use!”
Zhao Hao replied with a smile.
It took hundreds of years of Qin's accumulation to give the First Emperor the capital to unify the six countries.
But after unifying the six countries, they are living a miserable life. There is no reason why they should not change.
However, the development of industry and commerce must have a prerequisite, which is the abundance of products and the free movement of people.
According to Da Qin's current situation, it is obviously impossible to meet this premise.
Therefore, this series of problems does not mean that if businessmen are loosened, the economy will develop smoothly, the market will prosper, and they can just sit back and enjoy tax collection.
In the final analysis, productivity still needs to be liberated.
If we don’t liberate productive forces, problems will arise at the bottom. If we don’t liberate the bottom, there will be no surplus labor in the city. Without surplus labor, commerce will not develop at all.
One link after another, the final problem is still on the land.
Although the First Emperor unified the six countries and cracked down on the problem of land annexation by the nobles of the six countries, in terms of taxation, the main tax was land tax.
Of course, in addition to land tax, there are also land surtax, oral tax, calculation tax, household tax, customs tax, commodity tax, etc.
So, could Zhao Hao propose that the First Emperor exempt agricultural taxes?
This is obviously impossible.
Even when later generations first established their country, they paid public grain for decades to support the development of industry and commerce. It was not until cities developed to a certain extent that agricultural taxes were exempted.
What measures can be taken to reduce the pressure on the people of Qin Dynasty?
The first thing that Zhao Hao thought of was the 'One Whip Method' and 'Spreading the Ding into the Acre'.
Naturally, he would not let go of this epoch-making national policy that made the Ming and Qing dynasties rapidly prosperous and powerful.
The core of a whip law is to combine the land tax, servitude, exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes of various states and counties (the Qin Dynasty was counties) to collect them together.
Of course, in later generations, the combined levy was silver taels, which were converted and paid per mu, but in the Qin Dynasty, half a tael of Qin had to be used.
Maybe I will use silver coins in the future, but also in the future,
When a whip was placed in front of the First Emperor, Prime Minister Wang Wan, and Tingwei Li Si, they were stunned for a long time without saying anything.
"Your Majesty, such a national policy seems to have a lot of mystery and is very wonderful."
Li Si was silent for a long time before he said something cautiously.
However, before Ying Zheng could speak, he added: "I do not recommend the implementation of this national policy."
"."
Ying Zheng was speechless, thinking that you are an idiot, just express your opinions when you express them, why are you breathing so hard! It makes me a little baffled.
However, when he saw Zhao Hao, who was holding back a smile, his face turned solemn: "If Ting Wei has any ideas, you might as well tell him!"
"Reporting to your Majesty, although this whipping method is good, it is not suitable for our country of Qin."
Li Si said bluntly: "The land in Guanzhong is the foundation of our Qin State. There is no problem in implementing this method. However, the land of the Six Kingdoms has not yet fully accepted our Qin State. If we implement this method, we may cause trouble!"
"In addition, it is easy to implement this method in a wealthy land, but is it biased in a barren land?"
"Also, once this law is implemented and the state treasury revenue cannot be solved, should we increase the labor tax? Wouldn't this be harmful to the people?"
At this point, he seemed to think of something again and said seriously: "The most important thing is that our Da Qin uses grain as taxes. If it is converted into coins, it will naturally be beneficial to our Da Qin court. But the people do not have so many coins in their hands, so they can only Exchange grain for money;
Most of the money is in the hands of the nobles. Once the nobles maliciously increase the ratio of grain to money, how will the people live in peace? "
"this"
Ying Zheng and Wang Wan looked at each other, looking at each other.
Zhao Hao looked at Li Si with some surprise, thinking that this guy was worthy of being a famous prime minister throughout the ages, he really had two skills.
He even understands economics.
You know, this is the Qin Dynasty now.
For a person from the Qin Dynasty to have such an understanding of economics, it is not unreasonable to say that he is very powerful.
Not long after Li Si finished speaking, Wang Wan seemed to have thought of something and immediately said to Ying Zheng: "Your Majesty, I have something to say."
"oh?"
Ying Zheng's eyes lit up, he raised his hand and said, "Old Prime Minister, please tell me."
"Your Majesty, although what Li Tingwei said is reasonable, in my opinion, this whipping method has more advantages than disadvantages and can be implemented!" Wang Wan said in a deep voice.
"Well, old prime minister, continue."
"To be honest, after listening to Li Tingwei's discussion, I have three insights."
Wang Wan said bluntly: "First, this whipping method summarizes land taxes, servitude, excessive levies and miscellaneous taxes. It can avoid repeated levies by low-level officials, which is conducive to reducing corruption and reducing the burden on the people."
"Although our Daqin laws are strict, it is inevitable that petty officials will exploit us at all levels. Taking this method can alleviate this problem and is good for the people!"
"Secondly, replacing grain with coins can avoid losses during transportation. If the court is in urgent need of grain, it can requisition granaries from counties and counties to store grain in Bashu, or initiate grain donations."
"Thirdly, the implementation of the one-whip method can reduce tax expenditures. The court will come up with a list of taxes and levies, and each household can complete the list without the intervention of petty officials. This can avoid fraud. From these three points, the veteran feels that this method can Implement.”
Ying Zheng glanced at Wang Wan with rare admiration, and then turned his attention to Zhao Hao: "What do you think, kid?"
Zhao Hao smiled slightly, put on an old-fashioned and humble attitude, and said to Ying Zheng: "Back to my father, I naturally agree with the implementation of this method, but I am ashamed to say that I also did not think it through well;
The problems that Li Tingwei thought of were not thought of by Erchen, and these problems really need to be solved. "
Hearing this, Ying Zheng's mouth twitched.
Li Si and Wang Wan rolled their eyes inwardly, secretly thinking that this little fox is really cunning.
Zhao Hao seemed to notice the unhappiness of the three people, and said with a sneer: "Actually, this whipping method can definitely be implemented if the whole country is united, but if it is implemented in all counties and counties, it is afraid that the low-level officials will not be exploited. opportunity, malicious resistance;
In the end, in the name of his father, he committed illegal acts and harmed the people! "
He was naturally aware of the role and shortcomings of the whip method, but he also knew that the key to implementing this method was not the court, but the local government.
If local governments do not cooperate, or even officials and local gentry take the lead in opposition, no matter how good the national policy is, it will not help, and it may even lead to catastrophe.
"I understand your thoughts, but I feel that whether it is sustainable development or a whipping method, the focus is on the future of Great Qin!"
Ying Zheng said, stood up from his seat and said: "At the beginning of the unification of the six countries, the issue of land annexation made me very unhappy!"
"Why? Because the nobles of the six countries try their best to take away the people's land. Once the people encounter natural disasters, they can only sell the land and become tenant farmers without freedom!"
"Oh, what's funny is that no matter how hard they work, the tenant farmers will still be poor in the end, while the nobles who receive the grain can enjoy their lives in peace!"
"Before the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Six Kingdoms, the nobles of the Six Kingdoms did not have to pay taxes. Some people even went to the nobles' homes to become guests or servants in order to avoid paying taxes!"
"In this case, how much tax is left from the six countries?"
"Furthermore, the Xiongnu and Donghu in the north took advantage of the fact that our Qin State had just destroyed the six kingdoms. They thought that our Qin State was resting and recuperating and was unable to deal with them, so they raised troops to invade the territory!"
"In the south, there are millions of Yue people who are eyeing our Central Plains territory!"
"There are countless powerful enemies in Jiuzhou!"
"Our Daqin is in this situation, can we think of a way to solve it?"
The entire study was like an empty valley, with the voice of the First Emperor constantly echoing.
Li Si, Zhao Hao, and Wang Wan listened quietly and even forgot to respond.
In the quiet study room of the deep valley, Ying Zheng pondered as he walked, and finally shook his head and muttered to himself.
"No, I cannot let Daqin be in this situation. Therefore, I not only need to reform the agricultural tax, but also reform the land system and reform the commercial system!"
"Your Majesty, no!"
Li Si couldn't help but shrink his pupils when he heard that the First Emperor had reformed three major sectors in one go. He quickly raised his hands and said, "The national policies promulgated before have not been fully implemented. Now that reforms are being carried out, the people will not be able to accept them for a while, and it will be detrimental to the country!"
"Moreover, land reform and agricultural tax reform all involve taxes and servitude. Our Daqin has a lot of taxes and servitude now. It will take a long time to completely reform."
"enough!"
Before Li Si could finish speaking, Ying Zheng waved his hand and interrupted.
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There is one more chapter, which will come later.
(End of chapter)
